Kathryn Ruemmler, the Chief Legal Officer at Goldman Sachs, resigned Thursday evening following the public release of millions of documents linking her to convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Ruemmler, who previously served as a White House counsel under former President Barack Obama and as co-chair of Goldman Sachs’ reputation management committee, stepped down as part of a wave of resignations and dismissals after roughly three million documents were published on January 30 detailing Epstein’s network.
The documents included years of emails from someone identified as “Kathy Ruemmler,” in which Epstein is referred to as “Uncle Jeffrey.” In a 2018 email, she thanked Epstein for a “wonderful and thoughtful gift,” while a January 2019 email mentioned: “Today Uncle Jeffrey left me speechless! Jeffrey boots, a bag, and a wristwatch,” describing gifts she allegedly received.
In a written statement, Ruemmler said her “responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’ interests above all else” and expressed “regret” in informing CEO David Solomon of her decision to step down. She noted her six years at the bank had been a privilege, helping oversee legal, institutional, and regulatory matters, strengthen risk management processes, and ensure operations aligned with the company’s core values of integrity.
Solomon described Ruemmler as an “outstanding general counsel” and expressed the bank’s gratitude for her contributions across numerous important legal matters.
Ruemmler’s spokesperson, Jennifer Conley, told CNN that she “did nothing wrong” and “has nothing to hide,” emphasizing that her connection to Epstein had been professional, arising from a mutual client, and that any friendly exchanges occurred strictly within that professional context.
